Xshell Highlight Sets ((install)) [ HOT × 2024 ]
Highlight Sets allow you to automatically colorize specific keywords, error messages, or patterns in your terminal, making it much easier to scan long logs or command outputs. 1. Accessing the Highlight Sets Menu
To start creating or managing your highlights, follow these steps in NetSarang Computer Highlight Sets Terminal Highlight Sets NetSarang Computer 2. Creating a New Highlight Set Once the Highlight Sets dialog box is open: to create a blank set or if you have a pre-configured file from a peer. Provide a descriptive for your set (e.g., "Python Errors" or "Server Logs"). 3. Adding Keywords and Patterns
Inside your new Highlight Set, you can define exactly what you want to emphasize: : Click the "Add" button to create a new highlighting rule. Keyword/Pattern : Enter the specific string or Regular Expression (Regex) you want to catch. : Customize the Text Color Background Color , and font styles (Bold, Italic, Underline) NetSarang Computer Case Sensitivity
: Check the "Match Case" box if your highlight should only apply to specific capitalization. 4. Applying the Set to a Session
Creating the set doesn't automatically turn it on. You must link it to your active session: Properties of your session (Alt+P). Navigate to Highlight Set dropdown menu, select the set you just created. to apply the changes immediately to your terminal window. Global Application
: If you want a highlight set to apply to all new sessions, set it in the Default Session Properties
: Rules are processed from top to bottom. If two rules match the same text, the top rule usually takes precedence. Regex Power \b(ERROR|FATAL|CRITICAL)\b
to highlight major issues in red without catching sub-strings like "non-error." common Regular Expressions
to help you build your first professional log-monitoring set? Manual - Xshell - NetSarang Computer xshell highlight sets
Strings you'd like to emphasize can be highlighted via color or font changes using Xshell's Highlight Sets. NetSarang Computer Manual - Xshell - NetSarang Computer
To Add a Highlight Set: From the [Tools] menu, select [Terminal Highlight Sets] to open the Highlight Sets dialog box. NetSarang Computer Manual - Xshell - NetSarang Computer
Strings you'd like to emphasize can be highlighted via color or font changes using Xshell's Highlight Sets. NetSarang Computer Manual - Xshell - NetSarang Computer
To Add a Highlight Set: From the [Tools] menu, select [Terminal Highlight Sets] to open the Highlight Sets dialog box. NetSarang Computer
Xshell Highlight Sets allow you to automatically colorize specific strings or patterns in the terminal as they appear in real-time. This is a powerful feature for identifying errors (e.g., highlighting "FAIL" in red) or tracking specific IDs and keywords without manual searching. 🛠️ How to Manage Highlight Sets
You can access and configure these settings through the Tools menu or the Standard Toolbar. 1. Creating and Deleting Sets Access: Go to Tools → Terminal Highlight Sets.
Add: Click [New] in the Highlight Sets dialog, enter a name, and press OK. Delete: Select an existing set and click [Delete].
Apply: From the same dialog, you can choose which set to apply to the active session. 2. Adding and Editing Keywords Highlight Sets allow you to automatically colorize specific
Once a set is created, you can define individual rules within it: Keywords: Enter the specific text string you want to track.
Case Sensitivity: Use the Case Sensitive checkbox to distinguish between "Error" and "error".
Regular Expressions: Select Regular Expression to use patterns (e.g., \bDOWN\b for exact word matches). Xshell uses the Perl-compatible DEELX engine.
Styles: In the View area, choose the text color. Select Term Color to change only the text color while keeping the terminal's default background. 📂 Advanced Features & Locations
Real-time Refreshing: By default, Xshell refreshes highlights "on-the-fly." This can be disabled in Options → Advanced if you experience performance lag in high-traffic sessions.
File Storage: Highlight sets are saved as .hlf files. You can find them in the HighlightSet Files subfolder within your Xshell User Data Folder.
Right-Click Shortcut: In recent versions like Xshell 8, you can highlight a word on your screen, right-click, and select an option to add it directly to a highlight set. 💡 Best Practices for Highlight Sets
Status Monitoring: Assign "SUCCESS", "OK", and "ACTIVE" to green; "FAIL", "ERROR", and "CRITICAL" to red. Conclusion: Turn Your Terminal into a Visual Powerhouse
Regex for IPs: Use a regex pattern like \b\d1,3(\.\d1,3)3\b to highlight all IP addresses in a unique color (e.g., cyan) for better visibility.
Clean Logs: If you are Session Logging, highlights help you spot critical data points quickly when reviewing the log later in the built-in log viewer.
I can provide specific Regex patterns for common tasks (like highlighting dates or MAC addresses) or explain how to export your sets to a different computer. Which would you like to explore next?
Conclusion: Turn Your Terminal into a Visual Powerhouse
Mastering Xshell highlight sets is one of the fastest ways to double your terminal efficiency. By investing 30 minutes to build a customized set of highlighting rules, you save hundreds of hours of squinting at monochrome text over the course of your career.
Start simple. Create three rules today: one for errors, one for warnings, and one for transaction IDs. Once you experience the joy of having critical information instantly pop out of the scrollback buffer, you will find yourself constantly adding new rules. Export your masterpiece, share it with your team, and never miss a critical log line again.
Call to Action: Download the free trial of Xshell from NetSarang’s official website, open your most complex log file, and start building your first highlight set right now. Your eyes will thank you.
Keywords: Xshell highlight sets, Xshell regex highlighting, terminal color coding, Xshell tips, network engineer tools
Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Highlight Set
Use the Bell (Alert)
For critical alerts (e.g., "FATAL" or "Segmentation fault"), check Sound alert. Xshell will beep even if you are looking at another monitor.
Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Highlight Set
Let's walk through creating a practical highlight set from scratch.









